Car-coupling.



" ITED STATES PATENT OFFTCE.- l

WILLARD F.

Cou PLER vIRGlNrA.

RICHARDS, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GOULD COMPANY, OF NEW YORK,N. Y., A CORPORATION OF WEST CAR-cou'PLlNe..

To all whom t may con/cern;-

Be it knowny that I, WILLARD F. 'Riom vARDs, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing .a' couplerl intended for at Buffaloin the county. ofErie and State of N ew Yor haveinvented new and useful .Improvements inCar-Couplers, of which the Afollowlng is a speciication.

more particularly to cars employed for charging cupola-furnaces andsimilar ur- This invention relates poses. In use these cars are raisedand owcred on an elevator to and from an elevated -age by striking thein and lowerin the elevator.

track leading As the couplers of the cars usually I'otrude4somevdistancefin front of the carody, they. are often broken on causeIdamelevator-shafting raishe object o this invention is to prevent injuryto the coupler' or other cproperty by con-..-

providing a coupler 'of simple an stron y struction which can be swungor move back 1. Fig. 3 is a frafrmenta L `section showing thediaw-heaily tically. Fig.

hanging ver- 4 is a transverse section through the draw-head and shankin line 4 4, Fig. 2;

Like letters of reference refer to likeparts -in the several figures.

The coupler is preferably of the well-known Gould type comprising a'draw-head A,

pivoted horizontally-swinging knuckle B,` 4and a releasable lock C, thedraw-head and is adapted to coperate which is arranged in with the tailof the knuckle to hold the latter 1 in closed or coupling position.These parts vmay be constructed in accordance with any of the knownforms 'of couplers.y

The draw-head is pivoted at its rear end to the front end of thecoupler-shank D, which is arranged to slidelongltudinally and swinglaterally in an opening e in the supporting sill or part E of the ca r.4In the c erging- Specification of Letters Patent. ipucation ne@ Aprile. ieoa semi No. 151,281.

to the charging-opening of the the car.

section, of t e end vlongitudinal Patented Nov. 20, i908.

cars referred to this sill constitutes a platform on which the attendantor workman handling the car stands. In the construe` tion shown thefront end of the shank has a longitudinal slot or cavity and the draweadis provided with a reduced rear end F, lwhich is located in said slotand ivoted to the separated front end portions o the shank by a 4horizontal pivot-pin f, on which the draw-head is adapted to swingvertically. The' separated front end portions of the shank are connectedby abrldge-piece g, and the draw-head has a vertical shoulder g', whichabuts against the front face of] this bridge-piece g, while the rearface of the reduced rear end of the draw-head abuts against the frontend sition. These abuttingfaces on t ead buling orcoupling the cars. Thereduced rear' end of the draw-head is alsoprovided with a lug 7L, whichisl adapted to strike the topof the body portion of the shank to linn'ttheupward swing of the draw-head or stop the latter when in its correcthorizontal,or

tion and is prevented from swinging on its pivots vwhen hangingvertically by a latch device,` preferably in the form of a bolt l, whichpasses through a hole inthe bridgepiece and engages in a socket t' inthe top face of the reduced rear end of the draw-head lug h on thedraw-head when the latter hangs vertically,as shown in Fig. 3. When thebolt is lifted, the draw-head can be swung on yits pivot, but when thebolt is released and en ages the' socket or lug h the draw-head is he dfrom swin The knucklelease the knuckle by any suitable means which vWillnot interfere with the vertical swinging movement of the draw-head- Itthe .pivot-pin connecting-,the draw-head to the shank. A bentlock-lifting lever: J is shown pivoted on the under side of the drawhead and having a depending operatingarm anda rearwardlyprojecting armextending of the body of .the shank when the draw-head is in couplingpoand shank relieve the plvot-pin of strain in when it is horizontaland-engages behind the ing. oc O can be operated to recou lin position.The daw-head is held up in coupling posiwill be observed that the lockUlis" pivoted on FOO t tral, position.

through a slot in the bottom of the drawhead beneath the knuckle-lock.The depending arm of the lever is preferably connected bya chain orthelike lc to an arm k on a transverse rock-shaft K, journaled inbearings on the car sill or frame and having operating-arms lf2 at itsopposite `ends. 'lho chain kallows the draw-head to swing freely fromthe vertical to the horizontal position, or vice versa, withoutdisturbing thc lock, and as it is beneath the coupler and car-sill it isout of the way of a workman or person on the end sill.

The rear end of the coupler-shank is connected by a vertical pivot-pin Zto the front end of a coupler-stem L, the rear of which passes throughan opening in a yoke or bracket M, secured to the car sill or frame E.The rear end` of -the stem carries the usual sliding thimble m, betweenwhich and a front follower n, arranged to `slide on the stem, are theordinary draft and bufling springs o, which act in a well-known mannerto relieve the draft and buing shocks. The rear end face of thecoupler-shank is broad and s nare andbears-flat a ainst the front faceo. the front follower W en the coupler is in a cen- When the coupler isswung laterally to either side on the vertical pin connecting it withthe stem, the rear end face of theshank will be tilted or inclined andwill press the front follower rearwardly,

straining the draft and bufling springs, which will return the couplerto its central or straight position. The springs thus act to right oralways hold the coupler yieldingly in a central position, as well as tocushion the draft and buffing shocks.

`While the invention is described as applied lto a furnace-charging car,it is not limited to vsuch use,'but 1s applicable wherever avertically-swinging coupler is required.

I claim,` as my inventionv1. The combination of a coupler drawheadpivoted to swing vertically, and a single latch which ,engages parts onsaid draw-head to hold the latter stationary in either la horizontal orvertical position, substantially. as set forth.

2. The combination of a draw-head, a shank to which the draw-head ispivoted to swing verticallyand which .has a part overhanging a portionof the draw-head,- and a latch which is mounted on said overhangingportion of the shank, and engages,i a part on 'the draw-head to holdthe-latter from swinging, substantially as set forth.:

3. The combination of a coupler-shank, la draw-head pivoted thereto toswing vertically, and a latch carried by sai shank and adapted to engageparts on sai` draw-head to hold the latter in either a ho'izontal or avertical position, substantially alset forth.

pivoted to swing laterally, a draw-head pivoted to said shank to swingvertically, and a latch connecting the dra\\'-hcad and shank for holdingthc draw-head from swinging vertir-ally, substantially as set l'orth.l l

5. 'lhc combination ol a coupler-shank, a lra\\'hc:ul pivoted thereto toswing vertically, a pivoted knuckle, a lock for holding said knuckle, anoperating device for said lock mounted on the draw-head, and means foractuating said device comprising la ilexiblcipart, whereby the operatingdevice will not be disturbed when the draw-head swings vertically,substantially as set forth.

:6. The combination of a coupler draw-head pivoted to swing vertically,means for holdling the draw-head from swinging, a pivoted 8. Thecombination with a Master (,ar-

Builders coupler having an operative locking-knuckle, of a coupler-barpivoted to swing vertically, and meansupon and movable with thecoupler-bar for operating said. knuckle-lock, substantially as' setforth.

9. The combination with a car-frame, of a coupler-bar pivoted to swingvertically and v carrying a coupling-head with a lock for theI knucklethereof, and a lever for actuating IOO said lock carried by the movable,coupler-bar, 1

substantially as set forth. e

10.` The combination with a coupler-bar pivoted to swin vertically andhaving a head and a Inova le knuckle with a locky for 'said knuckle, andoperating mechanism for manipulating the lock from outside the train,

partially carriedby said movable-couplerbar, substantially as set forth.

11. The combination with a verticallyswinging or folding automaticcoupler-head having alockin -knuckle and lock therefor, of anoperating.- ever carriedby the coupler for manipulating the lock, andmeans for operating the lever from ou'tsidethe car-line', substantiallyas Set forth.

12. The combination with a bar pivoted to swing vertically andhaving aMaster Car- Builders automatic coupling-knuckle thereon, of a lockingdevice for said knuckle, a lever on and movable 'with the pivoted barfor operating the locking device, and a lever mountedupon the-cambodyforoperating the asset forth` l first-named lever from outsidersubstantially 4; The combination of a co pler-shank.

5 and means for o @3. A coupler-bar ferite swlng Vertlcally a ,1d @any1WlLh automatic locking means and Carrying also upon the pivote/dcoupler-bm? nsion pivotd to @Witness my hand ng a coupler-head f 19H3.

this 25th day of Marsh,

VH level', parat-mg 'the @Ver to mam JLAHL F. RIGHARDS. hate the lockingdevi ce from @umida th@ om# JNO. J. ABONNER; Ime, sunstantmly as setforth. C. BENTLEY;

